


Road to Waikiki

by Cuteosphere



Category: Bruno Mars - Fandom, Other Character - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 14:38:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2232690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuteosphere/pseuds/Cuteosphere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Haha, I literally pumped this out in a day. I just wanted to introduce Alana and Bruno and get that done and over with.<br/>I really hope that whoever may be reading this enjoys, and please leave a comment of your thoughts. I'd love to hear them.</p></blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Banlieue, France**

Banlieue, France. Not the ideal place to raise an eleven year old girl, but my parents made due. My mom, dad, and I all lived in a small one bedroom apartment on the sixth floor of our ten floor apartment building. Though our living space was small, I loved it because it was cozy and I could always just look up and see my mama either creating her own world through painting, that she called paradise, or my papa who was usually sitting him old favorite reclining chair, reading the newspaper and mumbling at the events her read about. Yeah, we were poor but I felt rich with their love.

Sadly, things didn’t stay that humble at in our home too much longer after I entered into middle school. 

One late evening, Papa came home yelling with his words slurring and shouting for Mama to find a real job (on account of the fact her only contribute to the household income was through selling her paintings at the flea- market every Saturday and Sunday). Soon profanity was flying back and forth between the two of them and I was horrified. I had never heard or seen them acting like this in my life. I just gathered my homework from off of the small kitchen table and hurried into my small windowless room where I slept. I remembered trying to drown out their voices by sticking my index fingers as far into my ears until it hurt but I could still hear muffled yelling, and I’m sure the people in apartments around is could hear it too since the walls were paper thin. 

The next morning was completely silent between the three of us. I wanted to ask what happened but I was scared it could trigger for it to start up all over again, so I just tip- toed around trying not to make a sound when I got dressed for school or ate my breakfast. But when it was time for me to go to the bus stop mama walked me down and said in a light tone “Ne vous inquiétez pas ce qui s’est passé la nuit dernière”, (Don’t worry about what happened last night). I just nodded and started happily talking to my best friend Penelopé. 

Things only got worse from there, the arguments got louder and my papa continued drinking. The more this happened, the less mama did around the house and it seemed like she started caring about me less as well. I know it wasn’t her fault though, the more papa came home yelling from work the more mama fell into depression. She tried to fight off papa’s words and depression by going to Church and it helped a little until she returned home and had to listen to my dad yell about how worthless he thought she was and how selfish she’s become since they married.  

Nearing the end of my 7th grade year, mama must have had enough of dealing with papa’s verbal and mental abuse because that’s when she decided to fight back. 

That afternoon happened so fast… and yet at the same time was in slow motion. I got home early from school that day because choir was cancelled. I could just feel that something was wrong when I placed my foot on the top step of my floor. It was like a gut feeling that something was wrong. As I walked down the hallway I could hear my papa’s voice getting louder then my mom’s trembling voice interrupting him. _"Vous crétin stupide ! Peut-être que si vous arrêtez de boire et effectivement parlé de moi comme si j’étais un being humaine, nous pourrions être à nouveau une famille fonctionnelle! Tu ne vois pas que je suis en train!? Vous continuez à me briser!" (You stupid moron!  Maybe if you stop drinking and actually talked to me like I was a human being we could be a functional family again! Can’t you see that I’m trying!? You just keep breaking me down!)_

_"Non! Nous ne sommes pas une famille fonctionnelle parce que vous ne voulez pas d’obtenir votre âne paresseux et faire autre chose que de la peinture, mettons toute la journée, et allons à l’église! Vous êtes devenu un tel morceau sans valeur de merde!" (No! We are not a functional family because you do not want to get off your lazy ass and do something other than paint, lay around all day, and go to church! You have become such a worthless piece of shit!)_ He lashed back at her. 

My heart began racing when I reached to unlock the door. I wasn’t sure if I should just wait until the argument blew over or if I should try to calm them down even though I felt like it wouldn’t do much. Then on the other side of the door I heard something smash against the old wooden floorboards. The next thing I know I was opening the door and saw my dad hovering over my mom as she tried to shield herself with her arms and his hand in a raised fist.

“ _Je vous défie!” (I dare you!)_  My mom shouted with her arms still raised to protect herself.

“ _No-!_ " I shouted as I watched papa’s fist swing towards mama. He struck her twice before I found myself climbing onto my mom trying to protect her, and in that moment papa stopped. 

_"Pourquoi faites-vous ce?!" (Why are you doing this?!)_  I shouted hoping that he wouldn’t hit me too. 

“ _A-Alana…”_ Papa said in a lowered voice. Mama was crying at this point and I didn’t know what to do except to leave. 

_"Je- Je pense que maman et moi allons rester sur la maison de Nani pendant un certain temps…" (I-I think mama and I are going to stay over Nani’s house for a while..)_  I said, not even turning to look at the drunken monster my father had become. 

_________________________________________

We ended up staying Nani’s (my grandma) apartment for longer than I had expected. The only time we returned home was to gather our clothes. I couldn’t help but want to see papa again but at the same time I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that he actually hurt mama and I could tell her damaged her more than the verbal abuse she took from him. 

Over the next couple of years mama found a job as a bank teller during the day and worked as a cashier at a 24 hour convenience store during the night. The plan was to save money to move as far away from my father as possible. Nani saved as much money as she could from her monthly check from the French government, which wasn’t much, but by the summer before I entered 9th grade we had enough money saved to fly from France to Hawaii, or “The Big Islands” as Nani liked to call them.

It took me a while to take in the fact that we were moving halfway across the world but I had to understand why. The only big problem that bothered me the most was the fact that I would have to learn to understand a whole new language. I mean, I’ve been learning English since elementary school but I never had to use it everyday and I also wasn’t great at it, and to add to the pressure mama nor Nani knew no more English than “Hello”. Every time I started thinking about all of the chances that would have to be made I could feel my anxiety rising. 

Penelopé was also heartbroken when I told her. I explained everything to and wanted nothing more than to at least have her come with me. She was my best friend through thick and thin and we weren’t ever going to see each other again. I promised that I’d write her every week and she promised me the same thing. 

As for papa, I was still highly upset with him but I still thought it would be important for him to know that we planned on moving. He told me he already knew and that he’d see us off at the airport… but on the day that we left he wasn’t there. Only Penelopé and one of mama and Nani’s Church friends showed to see us off.

I could feel the stinging in the back of my throat and the tears begin to wail up in my eyes but I couldn’t bring myself to let them fall. The sadness of me not being able to see my father again quickly turned to anger as we boarded the plane because it felt like all of this was his fault! He broke our perfect family apart. He started drinking. He turned to violence. Everything bad that happened since 7th grade was all his fault and I was never going to forgive that moron for it.  

I took my seat next to the window of the plane and looked out at France from ground point one last time and let out a slow sigh as I cranked the kodak camera with my thumb to take a final picture of my home country. 

Mama placed her hand on top of my hand and gently said,  _"Ne sois pas triste, lovebug. Cela va être le début de quelque chose de beau." (Don’t be sad, lovebug. This is going to be the beginning of something beautiful.)_ I smiled at her weakly and said,  _"Je sais, je suis un peu nerveux." (I know, I’m just nervous.)_

The words  _This is going to be the beginning of something beautiful_  constantly played in my head because truth was, I couldn’t see where the beauty in our family being broken apart was. 


	2. First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, I literally pumped this out in a day. I just wanted to introduce Alana and Bruno and get that done and over with.  
> I really hope that whoever may be reading this enjoys, and please leave a comment of your thoughts. I'd love to hear them.

By the time we landed, we was night. I looked at the time one of the screens overhead that read 9:32 P.M. I let out of slow breath and thought about the huge time difference of twelve hours. I looked at both Nani and mama who both were excited to be there. I interrupted them by asking if we should get our bags and they both walked ahead of me as I tagged along looking at the shops and signs that I could barely understand. 

After we finished getting out luggage from baggage claim and exited the airport mama flagged down a taxi and nudged for me to tell the driver where to take us. Trying to communicate was a horror. 

I struggled to pronounce the name of the street, " _Uh.. N-na... Nahua shteút?"_

The African American driver stared at me through his rearview mirror before asking if I meantNahua Street. I nodded and said yes in the best English I could pronounce and he drove off. He must not have been from America either because he had an accent too, but it wasn't French. I started outside of the window trying memorize street names but it's difficult when you can barely even pronounce the letters. 

I was taken out of my daze when the driver asked another question. _"What'sa numba of ya street?"_ My thoughts scattered for a translation of what he said, and mama and Nani just looked at me. " _Uhhh… huh?_ " I asked.

 _"The street numba, what is it?"_ He asked sounding slightly irritated. I held up the paper of the address name on it and handed it to the driver. _"410."_ , the driver said before turning off of the highway. 

When we finally stopped in front of a small blue apartment building it was nearing 11:30 P.M., what should have only taken us 45 minutes to get to took us over a hour. The driver turned around and told us it was going to cost 68.44. If mama didn't understand anything else, she understood prices.

" _68.44?!"_ Mama almost screamed in a thick accent. " _Pourquoi?!"_ _(Why?!)_  

 _"Taxi's ain't cheep."_ The man said while he popped the trunk open from the handle in the front seat. 

Mama looked at me before looking down into her purse for her wallet. _"Dites-lui que chest trop. Nous avons seulement 50 dollars américains." (Tell him that's too much. We only have 50 american dollars.)_ I looked at her helplessly because I didn't know how to haggle for a lower price. 

Mama handed me the 50 dollar bill and I handed it to the driver. _"Sir, we do not havé soixante- huit (sixty- eight) dollars. Pleasé forgive us."_ He just rolled his eyes and said something that I couldn't completely understand. Mama, Nani, and I just hurried to gather our things from the trunk as he continued mumbling on about something and drove off as soon as we closed the trunk of the cab. 

 _"Grossier."_ (Rude) Nani said as she stared as the taxi zoomed down the road.

I picked up Nani's duffle bag that was sitting on the sidewalk and looked up at the four story apartment building. The building was painted a light blue but had brown stains covering most of the exterior, probably due to age and battling the weather. Weeds filled some of the gutters due to the fact that they were probably rarely cleaned out. I looked back down at ground level and noticed a convince store called "Waikiki Beach Market Store", and on the other end two other stores that I couldn't quite make out from where I was standing. Mama had already started towards the entrance of the apartment which was pretty much just a small corridor that contained an elevator and at the end lead to a parking lot, which was pretty full. 

Mama called me back over to the elevator and said, _"Je pens que chest le troisiéme étage." (I think it's the third floor.)_ Nani pressed the button with her knuckle because she probably figured it was filthy. The elevator smelt of sweat and due to the bad lighting, added a yellowish tint to everyone vision. As the elevator cricked and hummed it's way slowly up to the third floor I said, _"Je pens que je vais juste prendre les espaliers à partir de maintenant." (I think I'll just take the stairs from now on.)_ Mama and Nani nodded in unison to agree with me. 

When we finally made it to the third floor, the three of use stepped off and took a deep breath of fresh air. We were greeted by the tops of palm trees and a cat. " _Awww"_ , mama cooed as she watched the small black, orange, and white creature walk away. Mama loved cats but was never able to have one because papa was allergic and would start sneezing just at the sight of one. 

Nani and I had already started towards our unit number, 303, and before turning the knob to open the door she asked, _"Pensez- vous que ce sera mieux que Banlieue? (Do you think it'll be better than Banlieue?)_

"Je'espére bien. Je ne bougeais pas douse heures pour rein, Nani." (I hope so. I didn't move twelve hour away for nothing, Nani.") I replied, smiling at her.

By the time mama made her way to room 303, Nani and I had already gone inside. Thankfully I didn't have my standards set too high for a place better than our old one because this one was only a few levels better than Banlieue. Mama closed the door as I was sitting Nani's duffle bag on the floor. 

 _"Alana, ne mettez pas mon sac sur le sol." (Alana, don't let my bag touch this floor.)_ Nani said before it touched the brownish- yellow stained tile floor. 

 _"Je vais le martre dans use des chambers aloes." (I'll go put it in one of the rooms then..)_ I said sounding slightly annoyed. 

I walked down the small hallway that contained three rooms. Mama's room was obviously going to be the largest one… which wasn't really that large but it had a queen size bed so I just assumed that she'd claim that room as hers. Across from it was a smaller room that held a twin size bed and a small cot at the foot of the bed. I rolled my suitcase over to the cot and placed Nani's duffle bag on the twin sized bed, taking a seat next to it. _"This is just going to have to make due for now."_ , I thought to myself while looking around the badly outdated room.

" _Alana?"_ Mama said standing at the entrance to the bed room 

" _Oui?" (Yes?)_ I responded, looking towards her.

" _Venir ici use minute,"_ ( _Come here a minute.)_ She said as she turned to walk towards her bedroom across the hallway. I followed her half hoping she'd ask for me to stay in the room with her for the night and half hoping she might say he changed her mind.

Mama was sitting at the foot end of the bed and gestured for me to take a seat next to her." _Nani veut de se changer en a-t-il vraiment rapid et pendant quell fait des que je voulais juste vous demander si tout allait bien. Je sais que ça doit être beaucoup pour vows de prendre en maid je veux que vows sachiez que les choses font être très rocheux au début, maid use fois que nous avons installs dans les choses seront tout de même, si ce nest mieux que quand nous étions en Banlieue." (Nani wants to get changed in there really quick and while she's doing that I just wanted to ask if everything was okay. I know this is going to be a lot for you to take in but I want you to know that things are going to be really rocky at first, but once we've settled in things will be so much better then they were in Banlieue.)_

I nodded and replied in french, _"I know, I'm just nervous, mama. My English is bad and we live in a place that only speaks English. What if everyone we run into tries to take advantage of us or our money and we can't defend ourselves because they don't know what e're saying and we don't know what they're saying? Like with the taxi driver. It shouldn't have taken us that long to get from the airport. Or what if we run out of money because you can't find a job or Nani stops receiving her checks? I'm not upset that we moved here, I just wish we could have been a little bit more prepared, that's all."_ I sighed a small breath of relief, happy that I was able to get that out.

Mama pulled me over towards her and kissed me on my forehead, saying in the most gentle voice, " _Oh sweetie, you have no business worrying about all that stuff. All you need to do is study hard to understand what's going on in school and if you aren't doing that, trying to make friends. I don't want you worrying about grown folks business. Nani and I will take care of everything."_ Mama cradled me for a while and before I know it I was drifting off to sleep while she still held me in her arms. 

The next morning, I woke up on the right side of the bed and mama sleeping beside me. We ventured out that morning to look at our surroundings and to become familiar with Waikiki… that is before it started to pour.

Over the next couple of weeks, we spent a lot of time scrubbing everything down and trying to get out as many stains as we could (Nani hated living in filth). Mama managed to find a job cleaning up hotel rooms along the beach which paid pretty well. Or at least well enough to support paying the rent and buying enough food for us to eat twice a day. Mama and I worked on our English whenever we had time to go to the library, but most times I'd go alone. Nani didn't bother trying to learn, she said she had no interest in learning. Most times if I wasn't at the library I was just wondering around. 

A week before school started, mama give me money for bus fare so I could try to find my way to the school and after getting lost countless times, I found it. I looked up at the school building that read "Roosevelt High School" in silver letters. The building was huge and I got mixed feelings right away. I wasn't sure if I'd be completely ignored (which is what I'd prefer) or if people would try to talk to me because I spoke another language. 

___________________________________________

**September 2nd, 2000**

I sat on the half hour bus ride to my first day of 9th grade, staring at the window with a million and one things running though my head. _Will anyone understand me? Am I going to make friends? Will I be the school loser? Do I look okay? Will people tease me for wearing secondhand clothes? What if no one understands my words?_

I placed my hand on my forehead, closed my eyes, and whispered to myself, _"Calmez-vous." (Calm down.)_ My head was already starting to hurt from stressing myself out and it wasn't even 8 A.M. yet. 

Just as I opened my eyes a glowing natural- base tanned boy with a brownish black curly top sat down next to me and fumbled through his book bag for something. 

I turned my head back towards the window and tried to focus on clearing my mind. After all it was only the first day. However, my concentration was broken by the boys voice sitting next to me. 

"'Cuse me, do you have some headphones I can borrow.. just until I get off, or you get off or whatever? I like to listen to some tunes before school.", the raspy buoyant voice asked. 

It took me a few seconds to process what he asked because my English was still a work in- progress. "Erm.. non? I don't have, sorry." I said with my thick french accent lingering in every word. 

A small smirk of amusement crept across his face. "Where are you from?", he asked compleatly forgetting about the headphones. 

"Where am I from?", I repeated for my own practice, "I am from Banlieue, France." I answered, nodding and returning a smile. 

"Ahhh, a French girl." He said still amused. "You must have just move here."

I nodded, "Oui… I mean yes." His smirk turned into a grin at my mistake. We talked a little more before I realized that the bus was approaching my stop. 

"Uh, pardon me, but I have to go now.", I said apologetically as I reached for the yellow cord, requesting for the bus to stop. 

"I'm actually getting off here too.", the boy said standing up. 

As the bus pulled up to the curb of the school, most of the passengers filed off. The boy got off before me and as I was paying the fare, a small group of guys greeted the boy I was talking to. 

The curly haired boy gave his friends a hand shake and just as I was about to walk pass the group the curly haired boy asked me my name.

"Oh, I'm Alana." I said grabbing the straps of my backpack. A second after I said my name a large dark skinned boy yelled from behind the group of boys "BRUNOOOO!" 

The curly hair boy smiled and said, "That's my name.", before turning around to give the large boy a pound of the fists. 

I watched a few seconds before the group of boys headed towards the entrance of the school and I followed behind them keeping a small distance. After entering, Bruno made his way back to me to tell me it was nice talking and that he'd see me around before running off to catch up with his friends. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Notes: This is the first chapter of my Bruno Mars fanfiction and I'm pretty pleased with it. The idea for the story has actually been buzzing around in my head for quite some time so I figured what better time to start then the first week of school? Haha.
> 
> Anyway, as I mentioned this is the first chapter and Bruno has not made his appearance just yet but in the next chapter Alana and Bruno will meet for the first time so stay tuned if you'd like.


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